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Yarmouth have been forced to abandon the last race today as there is a wet soft patch on the track on a day when the east is experiencing hot, sunny dry weather.
Matt Chapman hinted this may have been caused by a hosepipe from the nearby golf course but whatever the reason it is a bit embarrassing.
The 505 has been scrapped from tomorrow’s card as well. Shame as it was one of the better races on the card, being a class 2 5f sprint handicap.
It would be a disaster if it seriously affected races over 10f as they have one of he biggest races they have ever held tomorrow, a listed race featuring the comebacks of the potentially superb So Mi Dar and group 1 heroine Arabian Queen.
For those who know their Dick Francis, Yarmouth’s continuing woes have a touch of the ‘Seabury’ about them!
I think Warwick had something like this once.(or more than once)
They did indeed – I remember it well.
I had a pretty rubbish drive to the course and wasn’t in the best of moods when I arrived then to find racing was abandoned, apart from the two sprints, because of a problem with the watering system (human error if I recall) that was the icing on the cake.
It was 6th September 2007.
This is what I wrote on the day:-
“Well I have just returned home from a somewhat surreal trip to Warwick.
For those who do not know racing was abandoned due to waterlogging on the turn into the home straight – it appears someone forgot to turn off the watering system.
Now I have no issue with the decision to abandon racing on safety grounds, safety is paramount – what is inexcusable is how the whole issue was handled.
The obvious question is how the hell this situation arose in the first place?
Why was the decision to abandon taken so late?
Why were the two sprint races still allowed to take place? The ‘official line’ it was on less affected ground, however speaking to connections of horses engaged in the first I was told emphatically that the jockeys did not want to run the sprint races either. Also the first race was a 2 y-o sprint and the runners were walking round the pre-parade ring for at least an hour before running, not ideal for any horse, very poor for a 2 y-o. It is amazing there were only two late withdrawals from the race.
There was a generally feeling around the course, both amongst racegoers and professionals,that the two sprint races were only run so the course could avoid having to make full refunds to racegoers. Cynical – I’m not sure!!!”
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